LOADING A N EW GA M E U of I Taps Into Exploding Esports Industry to Give Students Community, Job Skills

Story by Leigh Cooper

Photography by Garrett Britton and Melissa Hartley

Sonic the Hedgehog socks poke out from Colten Bernal’s sneakers. He says he didn’t wear them specifically for tonight, but perhaps they’ll bring him luck. It turns out they don’t, at least during a practice match against his teammate. His character, Cloud, is ousted from the virtual platform by his opponent.

“Ahhh, but I was playing so well!” grieves the sophomore, in response to teammates’ ribbing as he preps for the next round of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a fighting video game. In Fall 2021, U of I fledged its first competitive esports team where multiple players square off in video games in front of an audience. Esports programs at universities with established teams can include scholarships for esports athletes, arenas for play and support teams including coaches, IT experts and data analysts. U of I plans to build its program, expanding the number of players, the games in which they compete and their support network.

“Gaming is a valuable part of our society right now,” said Dan Ewart, vice president of information technology and chief information officer, who is championing the program at U of I. “It can open up opportunities for social interaction, employment opportunities, further education and just improve your happiness. Students enjoy this activity, and they enjoy doing it together.”

U of I’s esports team entered the field playing in the Electronic Gaming Federation league — the league to which all Big Sky schools belong. By Spring 2023, U of I was competing at four different video game tournaments during the school year and had also joined the National Association of Collegiate Esports, called by its acronym NACE Starleague.

“Playing at this level is very different from playing against your family or friends — half the time you’re teaching them to play. Here, everyone knows how to play and you aren’t the best,” said Bernal, a secondary education major from Bayview. “Here, the competition is fun even if you know you aren’t going to win. And then when you have a good day –it’s great.”

These days, esports is more than just a game. In fact, gaming industry revenue outpaces that of movies and music combined. While players may be the heart of the community, they have support upstream and downstream.

Strategists, including data analysts and coaches, help players perform at their best, while organizers, like general managers and IT support, ensure games happen. Then there are the industries that create content surrounding esports; this includes software developers, artists and analysts on streaming platforms as well as professional marketers and corporate sponsors.

These potential jobs create an opening for U of I classes and clubs to engage with the esports teams. Professor Barrie Robison is interested in having students in the Polymorphic Games class, where undergraduates develop video games and work with the esports program.

“I see some fun opportunities for real career training, ranging from analytics and broadcasting all the way to hardcore data science and developing new computer algorithms to analyze matches,” Robison said.

Faculty in movement sciences, psychology and engineering have all expressed interest in incorporating different dynamics of esports into their classrooms.

For Ewart, supporting esports gives students another reason to become a Vandal and complete their degree at the university.

“If people have a community, they’re not just more likely to come here but stay,” Ewart said. “And they’ll see that there are many ways to make careers out of their love of gaming.”